In addition to the delegation, the KC-390 Millennium transported supplies and research materials in commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and international cooperation for the preservation and study of the region.
Air Force Agency / 1st GTT
On February 19, the Brazilian Air Force’s (FAB) KC-390 Millennium aircraft, flown by the First Troop Transport Group (1st GTT) – Zeus Squadron, provided logistical support to the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) of the Brazilian Navy (MB). The aircraft took off from Pelotas International Airport (SBPK), in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), heading for Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport (SCCI), in Punta Arenas, Chile, to begin the mission on the neighboring continent.
After a flight of 4.5 hours, the delegation of researchers, together with the Navy and FAB crew were met by the Chilean Air Attaché, Colonel Luis Rosal Elices Neto, and the Chilean Air Force (FACH).
The aircraft’s commander, Major Fábio de Matos Ferreira, emphasized the importance of the mission carried out in support of the Brazilian Navy, showing pride and satisfaction in being part of a mission of such magnitude, in favour of scientific development. “This exemplary collaboration between the FAB, the Brazilian Navy and Pelotas Airport reinforces Brazil’s commitment to scientific research and environmental preservation in the Antarctic region, contributing to the understanding of environmental phenomena with national and global repercussions,” he said.
Finally, the commander of the 1st GTT, Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Américo Pereira, stressed that carrying out the mission of the Brazilian Antarctic Program with the KC-390 aircraft reinforces the country’s commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and to international cooperation for the preservation and study of the region. “The use of the KC-390 Millennium in missions of this size represents a significant advance in Brazil’s logistical and operational capacity in Antarctica, supporting science, strategic presence and security in the region,” he concluded.
PROANTAR, which has been in existence for more than four decades, has the FAB as one of its partners, providing aerological support in the transportation of supplies and research materials. The program has a Logistics Support Station, located at the Federal University of Rio Grande – FURG, just over 60 km from Pelotas, assisting in the support of polar ships that dock in this important municipality, the last Brazilian port on the way to the white continent.
Photos: 1st GTT *** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***